What Font Should You Use on Your Resume? Here's a hint: Times New Roman is not your friend.
By Nina Zipkin
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When you're job hunting, the devil is in the details -- from making the right connections, to doing your research and assembling a resume that gets you noticed. But just like your body language can speak louder than words during an interview, it turns out that the font you use in your CV says something about you, too, according to a recent Bloomberg report.
So what typefaces should you use to put your best foot forward? Not Times New Roman, as it turns out. Brian Hoff, the creative director of Brian Hoff Design, likened the usage of the often default font to wearing sweatpants, as it doesn't show a lot of forethought or effort.
Related: 5 Huge Resume Blunders -- and How to Avoid Them
Fancy interconnected cursive that you would see on a wedding announcement like Zapfino (way too tough to read) or fonts like Courier, which looks like it was typewritten and can convey pretentiousness. Matt Luckhurst, the creative director of San Francisco, Calif.-based brand consultancy Collins noted "You don't have a typewriter, so don't try to pretend that you have a typewriter."
As for the fonts that communicate a clean, straightforward and professional image, the experts agreed that typefaces that are sans-serif (no little fusty feet at the end of the letters) and aesthetically pleasing like Helvetica and Garamond are a solid bet for those resumes.
Related: The Do's and Don'ts of the Modern Resumé (Infographic)
And while Comic Sans -- everyone's favorite font-punching bag -- is never welcome, apparently utilizing emojis to show a little personality might be -- depending on who you're talking to.
Ultimately, when you're looking for a new position, you send out countless cover letters and resumes, but you wouldn't send the same one to every firm or company that you are hoping will give you a second look. And just like you would tailor your CV, different fonts will make more of an impact depending on the industry.
